


You're Losing Your Mind Again

by Nanashi_Soldier



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-04
Updated: 2014-02-04
Packaged: 2018-01-11 03:42:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1168254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nanashi_Soldier/pseuds/Nanashi_Soldier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles was afraid of never waking up, being trapped in dreams. What he needed was an anchor, Isaac decided he should teach Stiles a lesson or two to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're Losing Your Mind Again

**Author's Note:**

> Started writing this before tonight's ep. Finished it after. Now to work on my theory fic. Ugh. AFTER I sleep.
> 
> Sorry there's no pairings. You can totally ship Stisaac in this if you want, but it's not the main focus.
> 
> Sorry, Der. I didn't feel like having you beta this. All errors are my own.

"Stiles?" The sound of his name being called gently snapped him from his thoughts. His eyes darted around as his tongue licked his lips. They were dry, his throat aching with thirst. But he didn't want to move. "Stiles, look at me?" He moved to look into those blue eyes that were settled right in front of him.

"Isaac..." Stiles breathed out. His hands clenched into fists. Part of him wanted to hug the werewolf. He wanted the contact, wanted to know this was real.

"Are you alright, Stiles?" He could hear the concern that was pouring out from the words. And, for once, he didn't really have an answer. Was he alright? He couldn't sleep. He was so afraid to. What if he never woke up? What if he was going to be trapped in a dream in a dream in a dream?

"Honestly? No." He watched Isaac. The way his lips frowned and his eyebrows drew closer together. It was a concerned expression, one he usually saw on Scott. It was an expression he hated others to wear.

"I kinda got that by you being curled up in the corner of the locker room." Isaac finally settled down next to him. He was hesitant before looping an arm around Stiles' shoulders and tugging him close.

They were both quiet for a moment. Isaac giving Stiles time to gather his thoughts but was there so he could talk. Stiles simply tried to figure out why Isaac was here. But then then something inside him seemed to click.

"You can smell it, can't you..." Stiles tried to draw himself in closer, a chill running through his body.

"Which do you mean? The fear or the blood? Because I can smell both." Stiles was quiet after that. Isaac didn't last long in the silence, mostly since he was afraid of what was going through the human's mind. "You know that you don't have to hurt yourself to realize what is reality and what's not." Isaac's voice was gentle. Stiles hated it.

"What do you know..." His voice grew quieter and quieter as his words sank in. "Sorry." Isaac just shook his head.

"I used to scratch and scratch and scratch that lid until my fingers bled. I thought I would go insane in the darkness, so I kept pain as an anchor. I used to block out the world and fade into my mind. Soon... I quickly just lived in a fantasy." Isaac's voice was quiet as he spoke. Stiles just watched him. "I used to..." Isaac knocked on his chest. "Knock knock knock," his voice died out as if remembering something. "It got bad, I would knock my chest to just be let in. So I could forget everything."

"Isaac..." Stiles wanted the other to stop. He could see how uncomfortable it made Isaac. The blonde haired male just shook his head.

"I think I discovered pain, real pain, when I was thirteen. Dad got that old freezer and he wanted me to help him fix it. I didn't know tools and he got so mad at me that he told me to get in it. And I banged the lid, scratched it so much... that my hands bled. And I realized pain could be an anchor. And dad would get so mad to see the marks. So I would press the bruises so it was painful. He would sometimes let me heal before starting the next round, sometimes he wouldn't." Isaac took a deep breath. "It was frightening. I never knew if I would die. If I'd just go to sleep and he'd strangle me in my sleep and that would be it."

Stiles fidgeted at everything Isaac was telling him. "I'm afraid to sleep... Afraid if I fall asleep... I'll never wake up." He gazed up at Isaac to see what expression the other had. All he found was understanding. Isaac knocked gently on Stiles' chest.

"Feel that?"

"Yeah." Isaac's smile was sad yet gentle.

"In dreams... You can't feel pain. Not as real as that." Stiles just gazed at his hand and began to count his fingers. But then he drew up his hand and knocked on his chest. "One day, all of this will end and you won't need an anchor."

"You make all this sound easy." Stiles was frustrated. But he was absolutely tired.

"It's not easy. It never was and never will be. But you're not alone. That's the difference. I had no one, but you... You have the pack, Stiles." All the anger left the human at that. He did. He had Isaac, Allison, Scott, Lydia... He had the pack to help him.

"Right..." Stiles let his head his the cement wall behind his head.

"You look like you haven't actually slept in ages. Rest. I'll wake you when this period is over." Stiles found himself resting his head on Isaac's shoulder, could feel slender fingers run through his hair in a soothing manner.

"I can see why Scott trusts you." He didn't really mean to say the words, they just slipped out. "I think I've always been misjudging you." He closed his eyes. "We're a lot alike."

Isaac waited until Stiles was out like a light before even responding to that statement. "I lost my sanity and found it. You will, too, Stiles. You will, too."


End file.
